ContactOffice launches end-to-end encrypted mail solution

We are very pleased to announce the BETA launch of our end-to-end encrypted mail solution which is based on PGP. Our encryption solution is the result of more than two years work by our dedicated team.

Why did we develop this service?

At ContactOffice we have always believed that users have an absolute and irrevocable right to Internet privacy. That is why we have never commercialized our user databases. During more than 15 years of business, users have always been spared advertising and have never been tracked or profiled. Following Snowden’s revelations in the summer of 2013, about massive government surveillance of Internet users, it became clear that users privacy on the Internet was seriously threatened. This was unacceptable to us.

First interoperable end-to-end encryption services that gives you full control

We understood that users need a service which is fully dedicated to email privacy. We double-checked every line of code, hardened our servers and worked relentlessly to find a SSL certificate which does not have a US company involved in the certification chain (not that easy to find).

We made it our mission to develop a user-friendly, highly trustable (based on open-source libraries) and completely interoperable encryption solution which anyone can use with other similar open-standard based solutions.

As a result, we have developed and launched the simplest, interoperable end-to-end encrypted mail solution on the market, which allows all users (not just techies) to reclaim their online privacy.

What features can you expect?

The mail encryption technology is seamlessly integrated into the collaborative messaging application. Through Mailfence, users can generate and manage their crypto keys online, send encrypted emails, digitally sign and decrypt emails, and much more. Our encryption technology is based on what is known as public-private key encryption and works on open standards such as OpenPGP (fully supported) and S/MIME (for signed incoming messages) in order to be interoperable with any other open standards based solution.

How does public-private key encryption work?

All codes are a bit like padlocks. You “lock” your message, the message travels to its destination, and then the recipient “unlocks” it and reads it. The basic idea is simple. Each user has two keys, one is called a ‘public key’ and the other a ‘private key’. Each “key” is actually a long string of alphanumeric characters rather than a real, metal key. You can share the ‘public key’ with anyone but the ‘private key’ remains secret. Lets suppose that you need to send a message to a friend using public key cryptography. You would use their ‘public key’ (the one they have shared with the world) to encrypt the message. Then you would email the scrambled message to them over the Internet. When they receive it they will use their ‘private key’ to decrypt (unscramble) and read it. In short, public-key cryptography means that anyone can encrypt a message and send it to you (using your ‘public key’), but only you can read it (using your ‘private key’).

We give you full control: the main features our end-to-end encryption solution

Generate and manage your crypto keys : you can generate your private key (protected by your passphrase) and a public key, both of which are mathematically connected to enable encryption. You can also import an already existing private key and perform tons of other operations related to key management, for example export your private key, generate a revocation certificate, revoke your private key, or delete your private key.

Digitally sign your email : you can digitally sign your email by using your private key which authenticates your identity to the recipient/s of your mail, for either professional or personal purposes. The compatibility of Mailfence with other applications is enhanced by the fact that it also supports S/MIME (for signed incoming messages) and the OpenPGP (for both incoming and outgoing signed messages).

Digitally sign and encrypt your email :this is a unique feature. Our end-to-end encryption solution enables you to prove your identity AND to protect the confidentiality of your email. You control the privacy of all your mail communications. In addition, all your attachments will also be encrypted, so both your message and your attached documents are protected. Of course, you are also able to decrypt all encrypted emails sent to you and send any encrypted mail to multiple recipients as well.

How do I get it? If you agree with us that ‘PRIVACY IS A RIGHT AND NOT A FEATURE’, sign up for an account on one of our daughter sites such as Mail.be or Mailfence. Would you like to implement this technology in your own private label version? Contact our commercial department for more information.

We would love to get feedback from you! Let us know of any suggestions/wishes/problems that you might have in order to help us make the simplest encrypted mail solution even better.Drop us a mail at: support at contactoffice dot com or send a tweet to @contactoffice